Latest news with #IlariaDiSilvestre
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Wolf protection downgrade gets green light in EU
Wolf protection downgrade gets green light in EU (Photo: AFP) EU lawmakers on Thursday gave the green light to downgrading wolf protections in the bloc, which will allow hunting to resume under strict criteria. Members of the Bern Convention, tasked with the protection of wildlife in Europe as well as some African countries, agreed in December to lower the wolf's status from "strictly protected" to "protected". The downgrade came into force in March, and the European Commission moved immediately to revise related EU laws to reflect the change. EU lawmakers approved the move by a majority of 371 to 162, with support from conservative, centrist and hard-right groups. The law requires a formal rubber stamp by EU member states, which have already endorsed the text before entering into force, after which states will have 18 months to comply. Operation Sindoor 'Did not want to...': Pak def min gives absurd excuse for army's failure to withstand Op Sindoor Blackouts, sirens & Pak's failed attacks: 10 things that happened in the last 36 hrs '1971 war was not remotely as terrifying': Residents of border areas shell-shocked Green and left-wing parties voted against a change they denounce as politically motivated and lacking scientific basis, while the parliament's socialist grouping was split on the matter. The European Union, as a party to the Bern Convention was the driving force behind the push to lower protections, arguing that the increase in wolf numbers has led to more frequent contact with humans and livestock. But activists fear the measure would upset the recovery made by the species over the past 10 years after it faced near extinction a century ago. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Download Chrome Symptomdepot Undo A trio of campaign groups, humane world for animals europe, eurogroup for animals and the international fund for animal welfare (IFAW) denounced the vote as "a worrying precedent for European nature conservation." "There is no data justifying a lower level of protection, but the EU institutions decided to ignore science," IFAW's Europe policy director Ilaria Di Silvestre said in a joint statement. Echoing those concerns, Sebastian Everding of the Left group in parliament said the move "ignores effective coexistence tools". "Downgrading wolf protection... panders to fear, not facts," he charged. Grey wolves were virtually exterminated in Europe 100 years ago, but their numbers have surged to a current population of 20,300, mostly in the Balkans, Nordic countries, Italy and Spain. No licence to kill Commission president Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the results of the vote on Thursday. "With growing wolf concentrations in some areas, we should give authorities more flexibility to find balanced solutions between the aim to protect biodiversity and the livestock of local farmers," she wrote. In late 2022, von der Leyen lost her beloved pony Dolly to a wolf that crept into its enclosure on her family's rural property in northern Germany, leading some to suggest the matter had become personal. In practice, the EU rule change makes it easier to hunt wolves in rural and mountainous regions where their proximity to livestock and sheepdogs is deemed too threatening. Von der Leyen's European People's Party (EPP), which spearheaded the change, has stressed that member states will remain in charge of wolf management on their soil, but with more flexibility than before. To date, there have been no human casualties linked to rising wolf populations, but some lawmakers backing the change warn that it may only be a question of time. Spain's Esther Herranz Garcia, a member of the conservative EPP, cited figures showing that wolves attacked more than 60,000 farm animals in the bloc every year. "The people who feed our country cannot be expected to work with this fear hanging over them," said France's Valerie Deloge, a livestock farmer and lawmaker with the hard-right Patriots group, where the rule change found support. Socialist and centrist lawmakers, while agreeing to back the changes under a fast-track procedure struck a more measured tone. "This is not a licence to kill," Pascal Canfin, a French lawmaker with the centrist Renew group, told AFP. "We are providing more leeway for local exemptions, wolves remain a protected species."
eNCA
08-05-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Wolf protection downgrade gets green light in EU
EU lawmakers on Thursday gave the green light to downgrading wolf protections in the bloc, which will allow hunting to resume under strict criteria. Members of the Bern Convention, tasked with the protection of wildlife in Europe as well as some African countries, agreed in December to lower the wolf's status from "strictly protected" to "protected". The downgrade came into force in March, and the European Commission moved immediately to revise related EU laws to reflect the change. EU lawmakers approved the move by a majority of 371 to 162, with support from conservative, centrist and hard-right groups. The law requires a formal rubber-stamp by EU member states -- which have already endorsed the text -- before entering into force, after which states will have 18 months to comply. Green and left-wing parties voted against a change they denounce as politically motivated and lacking scientific basis, while the parliament's socialist grouping was split on the matter. The European Union -- as a party to the Bern Convention -- was the driving force behind the push to lower protections, arguing that the increase in wolf numbers has led to more frequent contact with humans and livestock. But activists fear the measure would upset the recovery made by the species over the past 10 years after it faced near extinction a century ago. A trio of campaign groups -- Humane World for Animals Europe, Eurogroup for Animals and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) -- denounced the vote as "a worrying precedent for European nature conservation." "There is no data justifying a lower level of protection, but the EU institutions decided to ignore science," IFAW's Europe policy director Ilaria Di Silvestre said in a joint statement. Echoing those concerns, Sebastian Everding of the Left group in parliament said the move "ignores effective coexistence tools". "Downgrading wolf protection... panders to fear, not facts," he charged. Grey wolves were virtually exterminated in Europe 100 years ago, but their numbers have surged to a current population of 20,300, mostly in the Balkans, Nordic countries, Italy and Spain. - No 'licence to kill' - Commission president Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the results of the vote on Thursday. "With growing wolf concentrations in some areas, we should give authorities more flexibility to find balanced solutions between the aim to protect biodiversity and the livestock of local farmers," she wrote. In late 2022, von der Leyen lost her beloved pony Dolly to a wolf that crept into its enclosure on her family's rural property in northern Germany -- leading some to suggest the matter had become personal. In practice, the EU rule change makes it easier to hunt wolves in rural and mountainous regions where their proximity to livestock and sheepdogs is deemed too threatening. Von der Leyen's European People's Party (EPP), which spearheaded the change, has stressed that member states will remain in charge of wolf management on their soil -- but with more flexibility than before. To date, there have been no human casualties linked to rising wolf populations -- but some lawmakers backing the change warn that it may only be a question of time. Spain's Esther Herranz Garcia, a member of the conservative EPP, cited figures showing that wolves attacked more than 60,000 farm animals in the bloc every year. "The people who feed our country cannot be expected to work with this fear hanging over them," said France's Valerie Deloge, a livestock farmer and lawmaker with the hard-right Patriots group, where the rule change found support. Socialist and centrist lawmakers -- while agreeing to back the changes under a fast-track procedure -- struck a more measured tone. "This is not a licence to kill," Pascal Canfin, a French lawmaker with the centrist Renew group, told AFP. "We are providing more leeway for local exemptions -- wolves remain a protected species." By Matthieu Demeestere
Int'l Business Times
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Int'l Business Times
Wolf Protection Downgrade Gets Green Light In EU
EU lawmakers on Thursday gave the green light to downgrading wolf protections in the bloc, which will allow hunting to resume under strict criteria. Members of the Bern Convention, tasked with the protection of wildlife in Europe as well as some African countries, agreed in December to lower the wolf's status from "strictly protected" to "protected". The downgrade came into force in March, and the European Commission moved immediately to revise related EU laws to reflect the change. EU lawmakers approved the move by a majority of 371 to 162, with support from conservative, centrist and hard-right groups. The law requires a formal rubber-stamp by EU member states -- which have already endorsed the text -- before entering into force, after which states will have 18 months to comply. Green and left-wing parties voted against a change they denounce as politically motivated and lacking scientific basis, while the parliament's socialist grouping was split on the matter. The European Union -- as a party to the Bern Convention -- was the driving force behind the push to lower protections, arguing that the increase in wolf numbers has led to more frequent contact with humans and livestock. But activists fear the measure would upset the recovery made by the species over the past 10 years after it faced near extinction a century ago. A trio of campaign groups -- Humane World for Animals Europe, Eurogroup for Animals and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) -- denounced the vote as "a worrying precedent for European nature conservation." "There is no data justifying a lower level of protection, but the EU institutions decided to ignore science," IFAW's Europe policy director Ilaria Di Silvestre said in a joint statement. Echoing those concerns, Sebastian Everding of the Left group in parliament said the move "ignores effective coexistence tools". "Downgrading wolf protection... panders to fear, not facts," he charged. Grey wolves were virtually exterminated in Europe 100 years ago, but their numbers have surged to a current population of 20,300, mostly in the Balkans, Nordic countries, Italy and Spain. Commission president Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the results of the vote on Thursday. "With growing wolf concentrations in some areas, we should give authorities more flexibility to find balanced solutions between the aim to protect biodiversity and the livestock of local farmers," she wrote. In late 2022, von der Leyen lost her beloved pony Dolly to a wolf that crept into its enclosure on her family's rural property in northern Germany -- leading some to suggest the matter had become personal. In practice, the EU rule change makes it easier to hunt wolves in rural and mountainous regions where their proximity to livestock and sheepdogs is deemed too threatening. Von der Leyen's European People's Party (EPP), which spearheaded the change, has stressed that member states will remain in charge of wolf management on their soil -- but with more flexibility than before. To date, there have been no human casualties linked to rising wolf populations -- but some lawmakers backing the change warn that it may only be a question of time. Spain's Esther Herranz Garcia, a member of the conservative EPP, cited figures showing that wolves attacked more than 60,000 farm animals in the bloc every year. "The people who feed our country cannot be expected to work with this fear hanging over them," said France's Valerie Deloge, a livestock farmer and lawmaker with the hard-right Patriots group, where the rule change found support. Socialist and centrist lawmakers -- while agreeing to back the changes under a fast-track procedure -- struck a more measured tone. "This is not a licence to kill," Pascal Canfin, a French lawmaker with the centrist Renew group, told AFP. "We are providing more leeway for local exemptions -- wolves remain a protected species."
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
New study uncovers 'alarming' method traffickers are using to smuggle around the globe: 'This kind of illegal exploitation is rife'
Wildlife traffickers are exploiting loopholes in EU trade laws, threatening biodiversity and undermining global conservation efforts. A new study by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has provided "alarming" new data helping to outline the scale of the global black market for exotic pets. From 2017 to 2023, almost 2,500 animals from 69 species were seized en route to Europe from Latin America. About 94% of these were destined for the pet trade, which itself is only one part of the clandestine flow of animals worldwide. Though the exportation of these animals — many of which die in transit — is illegal, criminals exploit a loophole that allows for their legal sale within European borders. "This kind of illegal exploitation is rife, and we urgently need the EU action to safeguard this and other regions' rich biodiversity," stated Ilaria Di Silvestre, IFAW's director for policy and advocacy in Europe. "These animals belong in their natural habitats — in the rainforests, grasslands, deserts, mountains and wetlands — not in display tanks or cages. This isn't just for their own good, but they are all components of a fragile ecosystem, and all have a role to play." The growing illegal wildlife trade poses a direct threat to biodiversity, which is already in decline due to factors such as deforestation and development. Domestic and regional markets also provide major demand for trafficked animals, either as pets or for consumption. An earlier IFAW report revealed that nearly 100,000 animals were smuggled within Latin America alone between 2017 and 2022, with amphibians accounting for more than half of the wildlife trafficked. As Latin America is one of the most biodiverse regions in the world, the trafficking of its wildlife accelerates the loss of species that play crucial roles in maintaining ecological balance, which supports human health and our food supply systems. Many trafficked species are pushed even closer to extinction, particularly those not protected under international treaties. Increased awareness of wildlife trafficking, both as an individual trend and as a common factor of crime convergence, is helping to strengthen global law enforcement. In 2024, a joint initiative by Interpol and the World Customs Organization seized nearly 20,000 endangered animals and plants and arrested 365 suspects across 138 countries. The operation dismantled six transnational trafficking networks and highlighted the growing importance of coordinated international action. Public education campaigns are essential to shifting attitudes toward exotic pet ownership on the individual level and discouraging demand for trafficked wildlife. At the same time, governments and international organizations must continue to strengthen wildlife protection laws and improve cooperation across borders to combat this growing threat. Should the government be paying people to hunt invasive species? Definitely Depends on the animal No way Just let people do it for free Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
